Bound
by Aslan9001
Summary: She honestly never wanted to tell anyone. Especially him. There was nothing they could do anyway.
1. Rain

**~~~~ This fanfic in dedicated to the ever talented Rhov. If you don't know her go check out her profile she is AMAZING. Anyway this is my first fanfic so be gentle ^^ I rated this M because there will be lemony goodness in the future so bear with me on that one. If you find any spelling errors let me know and I'll fix them. I am just terrible with spelling…. OK enjoy! ~~~~~**

The rhythmic thud of large boots against cobblestone echoed down the back allies of Magnolia, accompanied only by the relentless snapping of rain on rooftops. Shrouded in darkness, a lone figure gracefully moved through the shadows cast by the glowing yellow street lights. 'Graceful' was rarely a word used to describe Gajeel Redfox, but when it came to this; to hunting, there was no better. It had been his job for years. His past time for longer. Silently watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike down his prey. It had given him joy once, made him feel powerful. Until he met her. Now it just made him sick.

Gajeel stopped abruptly and sniffed the air. The damn rain was making it difficult to track. It was also stinging his eyes for some reason. He caught some in his hand and cautiously stuck out his tongue to taste, only to hastily retract it in disgust. It was salty.

"Fucking rain woman!" Gajeel mumbled harshly.

He could always tell when it was Juvia's rain. It also allowed him to gage her mood. Right now it wasn't hard to tell she was upset, hence the saltiness. When Juvia cried, the sky cried. Anyone in the guild could see she was an overly emotional person, but Gajeel knew Juvia could take harsh words. She wouldn't have been his friend otherwise. When it rained like this however, it meant she was genuinely upset. Most likely crying silently in her room. She never liked to burden people with her problems. It was the only time when the normally talkative water mage would be silent, and just let the tears fall. He thought it looked disturbing really, like she was just waiting for it to pass.

But he would have to deal with that later. Right now there was something more urgent he needed to take care of.

Closing his eyes he sniffed deeply once again, searching for that unique scent. But which direction….

There!

Gajeel took off down the alleyway then turned right so sharply down another he almost lost his footing on the slippery streets. The splash of his boots hitting the rain soaked path went unnoticed to him as blood thundered through his ears. He skidded to a halt once again as the scent got weaker and muddled by the persistent onslaught of rain. Franticly sniffing the air he tried to zero in on his target. For the longest time, nothing. Gajeel ground his teeth in frustration. He was a dragon slayer for fucks sake! What use was an advanced sense of smell if it couldn't handle a little god damn rain? He was about to start cursing out loud when the unmistakable smell of musty old paper and ink filled his nostrils. Found her.

At a pace that would have almost rivaled Laxus, Gajeel sped off in the direction of his target. By now he was drenched, his clothes clinging to him like a second skin and coal black hair sticking to his face and neck. What the hell was she doing out this late at night for fucks sake? Why didn't she at least have her stupid entourage with her? And why wouldn't this god damn rain stop?! Fucking Fullbuster was probably behind Juvia's depression. When he got back to the guild tomorrow there would be hell to pay. But for now he'd have to get over it and focus on the task at hand.

By the time Gajeel tucked behind a dumpster his lungs were burning and his legs were screaming at him to stop. As he tried to catch his breath he surveyed his surroundings carefully. He was somewhere near the outskirts of magnolia. He vaguely remembered this being close to the way to get to that medicine woman's hut. Not like he went to see her often. Grouchy old hag. A cold breeze sent a shudder up the iron dragon slayer's spine, the water and sweat drenched through his clothes only making it worse. It was then he noticed the rain had stopped and the streets were now eerily quiet. His ragged breathing might as well have been a gunshot in contrast to the silent stillness around him. Her scent was getting stronger though, which meant she was coming this way. Gajeel took deep breaths in an attempt to calm his erratic breathing. It didn't take long however and within a few seconds he was completely recuperated and ready. Straining his ears he listened for the telltale shuffle of her footsteps. She always dragged her feet when she was preoccupied with something, mainly reading. And she was always fucking reading. Nose always stuck in a book, usually so big she could barely lift it. He had been her pack mule on more than one occasion to the book store and while he was no weakling, she still got some damn heavy books.

What was she even doing out this late at night? It was well past midnight which meant the bars had closed just a couple of hours ago. Drunk freaks could pop up anywhere and give her trouble. Although he supposed she wouldn't really consider this seeing as he took care of each one before they got within ten feet of her. He didn't even need to get close to know what they were after. He could smell their arousal from a mile away, and it pissed him off to no end. The most recent one was just a few blocks away from the guild for Christ's sake. She was walking home (face buried in a book of course) and he was skulking behind her with that stupid grin on his stupid face. The man screamed sleeze. It was when he almost got close to her he noticed the cloth in his hand. Gajeel made sure to torture him slowly. Seven broken bones including a fractured femur and a broken jaw. The dumbass even tried to go to the police before they apprehended him on charges of sexual assault. The police called him a lolicon, sick freak.

He was brought out of his reverie by the soft patter of footsteps. Hm, that was different. Peeking over the dumpster Gajeel caught sight of Levy McGarden, walking quickly down the street and soaked to the bone. He posture was hunched in resistance to the cold wind and her arms crossed over her chest. This didn't concern him nearly as much as what she was focusing on. She was staring intently at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. No book, no entourage, and no smile. In fact if he looked hard enough he could see her frowning. Something was wrong.

The initial plan to follow her home in secret went out the window as he abruptly stood up and made his way over to her. He made sure his boots hit the ground loudly as to announce his presence, making sure he did his best not to scare her. He hated when he did that. She didn't fear him, not anymore at least, but when he startled her, the expression on her face was reminiscent of a time when she had been petrified by just the mention of his name. More disturbingly, of the expression she had made the night he held her up by her throat, her screams and pleas ringing in his ears as he chained her up-

Gajeel nearly gagged, squaring his shoulders as he shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of memories of past sins. Even this went unnoticed to the petite script mage as she hurried forward down the street, requiring him to jog after her. As he got closer he decided just to walk beside her in silence, taking the opportunity to look her over. Her hair was a complete mess, a wild tangle of wavy sky blue locks. She obviously hadn't been expecting the sudden rain storm seeing as she had decided to forgo her usual orange sundress for a light blue tank top and a_ very _short denim skirt. Honestly it looked like something that celestial chick would wear. Not that he was complaining. It gave him a view of her long shapely legs and perfectly rounded little a-

"Gajeel?!" Levy squeaked loudly causing Gajeel to jump backwards and almost lose his footing.

"God damnit shrimp!" Gajeel swore gruffly. He hated being caught off guard, especially when his mind started to wander near the gutter.

Levy had uncrossed her arms in favor of covering her mouth in surprise, bearing her very see-through top and adorable lacy bra to the elements. This did not go unnoticed to the iron dragon slayer as his mouth shifted into a smirk. Levy looked down and immediately re-crossed her arms with a squeal.

"Gajeel, what are you doing here?" Levy asked, quickly trying to shift attention away from her obvious embarrassment.

"I could ask you the same thing shorty. It's late, what the hell are you doin roamin' around?" Gajeel was honestly starting to get frustrated. He had come back from his mission only to be attacked by an onslaught of rain and a certain blue haired mage who was going to get her ass into one hell of an ugly situation this late at night, forcing him to forgo his soft welcoming bed in favor of tracking down said pain in the ass to make sure she didn't get hurt. Now here she was defiantly staring him down with those adorable puffy red eyes. Wait, what? Why were her eyes puffy? He should have been able to smell the telltale saltiness of her tears from a mile-

Juvia. Juvia's god damn emotional rainstorm had muddles his senses and caused him to unwittingly walk into a very uncomfortable situation. He didn't know how to console people! Hell his social skills were on par with a rock. A socially awkward rock. And even then the rock would probably be better at comforting people.

Levy shifted uncomfortably under Gajeel's intense stare. She always felt so bare under gaze of those blood red eyes. The slayer could put on one damn good poker face, so good that sometimes not even she could read him, but his eyes were always a dead giveaway. At least to her.

Another swift breeze crept up Levy's skirt, her skin erupting into goose bumps. It was around this time she harshly regretted taking Lucy's advice and wearing the outfit she got her. It was warm enough when she left, but Juvia's turn of mood had brought down quite the downpour, much to the water mage's embarrassment. But it was understandable. She hadn't fared much better when Porlyusica relayed to her what was now the worst news of her life. But that would have to wait. At least for now.

"I was just going out on a walk to clear my head. And I can go out whenever I want! I'm a Fairy Tail mage and I can take care of myself!" Even to Levy the excuse sounded weak. She knew she wasn't strong. Well read? Most definitely. Cunning? She liked to think so. But when it came to physical strength and endurance? She sorely lacked any kind of talent in that area. She could barely carry home her own books for heaven's sake. But she wasn't about to tell him where she had been or why. Not now at least. Preferably not ever.

Gajeel could tell she was lying to him. While it bothered him she wouldn't tell the truth, he wasn't going to pry. Her secrets were her own. He sure as hell had no right to ask. So he just grudgingly accepted the explanation and walked towards her. With what he refused to call a flourish, Gajeel draped his cloak over Levy's shoulders and pulled her close to his side. He arms were freezing. And when he looked down at her face he was sure her lips and taken on a blue tint. Fucking idiot not going out in more than a god damn sheer tank top and that cursed sexy denim skirt. It looked so flimsy he could probably rip it right off. Wanted to rip it right off. With his teeth.

Gajeel stopped himself mid thought. He had no right to think about her that way. Not now, not ever. He was a lowlife. Nothing more than a broken toy. All he knew was fighting and darkness. She was the epitome of light and innocence and goodness. Even after all he had done to her… She still looked at him with such affection.

He didn't deserve it.

Levy blushed a deep beat red that spread all the way down her exposed neck and shoulders. While she was grateful for the warmth, she doubted he knew what he did to her. Her magic was the power of words but somehow when it came to him he rendered her completely speechless.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, barely aware now of the cold as he rubbed his warm hands over her shoulders.

"Yer fucking freezing shrimp. If you pass out from hypothermia I don't want to have to drag your ass to Fairy Hills. That armour chick would kill me." Gajeel supposed it wasn't that far from the truth. Erza had made it very clear the last time she caught him following Levy home that Fairy Hills was no man's land. Literally. And while Gajeel appreciated a good fight, he didn't have a death wish. He wasn't doing this because her skin was incredibly smooth and soft and perfect. No. Definitely not.

Levy just stood there dumbly as Gajeel tried to warm her up. When it seemed like he was satisfied he set a slow pace so she could keep up with his long strides. They stayed that way for some time. It was the way they were. Most of their time spent together at the guild hall was filled with content silence. Just enjoying each other's company. Now was no different as they shuffled through the empty streets of Magnolia. It was Levy who broke the silence first.

"You're back early." She honestly hadn't been expecting him until tomorrow. It was the reason she had come out tonight to see the medicine woman instead of waiting for Lucy to get back from her mission with team Natsu.

"The mission was simple. God damn boring. Defeat a monster for some rich snob with more money than he can count. He gave me a good tip though. Said I could put it towards getting some new clothes. Prick." The last word was said with more venom than he'd meant to put in and he felt Levy tense beside him. Damnit.

"He had a nice pair of iron cufflinks sitting on his fireplace mantle."

"That's odd. I've never seen iron cufflinks before. Must have been expensive." 

"I ate 'em."

"Gajeel!"

"Geehee!"

She shoved her elbow into his ribs playfully as they kept walking. Again a comfortable silence settled between them. That was until Gajeel had remembered she had been crying. He was unsure whether or not to bring it up. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. So he kept silent. The rest of their walk remained likewise.

When finally Gajeel could see the peeks of the dorm's roof he shrugged off his cloak and draped it around Levy's shoulders. She looked at him confusedly for a moment.

"Return it to me later. My place isn't far and you look like you're about to turn into a shrimpcicle."

Levy stuck out her bottom lip in defiance, but wrapped his cloak tighter around her all the same.

"Thank you for walking me home. I know you must be tired from your mission, you really didn't have to."

"Che. I was in the area. Don't really matter much. Now go get inside before Armour Chick tries to skewer me."

With that Gajeel turned around and began his walk home, leaving a slightly stunned script mage in his wake. Levy smiled and snuggled deeper into Gajeel's cloak. It smelled like him. A mix of metal and rain and a scent that was all Gajeel. She scurried to the front door of the dorms and fished for her key. However no matter how hard she searched there was nothing but an empty gum wrapper and a book store receipt. Oh no. Did she leave it at Porlyusica's? And Erza wouldn't be back for another three days! Just as she was contemplating waiting it out until someone got there a raindrop landed on her cheek with a small 'plip' and rolled down her face. Gathering up the end of the long cloak she took off in the direction of its owner.

Gajeel had just felt the first few rain drops hit his shoulders when he heard Levy running after him. Odd. He turned just in time to see her slip on a small mud puddle and careen towards him at top speed, colliding and sending them both splashing into a larger puddle. God damnit he hated rain.

"What the fuck shorty? I thought I told ya to get inside!" He said while trying to wipe the mud off his shirt. He helped her up and noticed just how adorable she looked with much smeared across her nose.

"I lost my key. Can-….can I stay over at your place tonight? I mean if it's no trouble! I don't mean to intrude and you can definitely say no it's just- mmph!" Gajeel had clamped a calloused hand down on her mouth, silencing her rant.

"You can stay. Come on, it's this way." He took her hand and led her in the direction of his apartment, ignoring the way her hand fit so perfectly in his and the blush threatening to creep onto his face.

It was gunna be a long fucking night.

_Ok rate and review everybody! I want to know what you think :D_


	2. Memories

_**Hi guys! So sorry for the late update! It's been super crazy with holiday shopping and Christmas dinners and such and I just haven't been able to find the time. Thank you so much to all who reviewed! It just makes my day to see all your comments ^-^ Anyway, enjoy the chapter. I'll try to update on a regular basis from bow on but I make no promises. GaLe FOREVER!**_

The smell of pavement soaked with fresh rain was sharp in the air as Gajeel and Levy made their way through the quiet streets of Magnolia. The river sloshed up against the pathway barriers, overflowing into the streets in response to the earlier storm. Now the sky just gave way to a light trickle that pattered down around them, soaking their already freezing bodies. Gajeel had let go of Levi's hand somewhere between Fairy Hills and now, leaving Levi to shuffle quickly behind him in an attempt to keep up with Gajeel's larger stride. The end of the cloak that hung from Levi's slender shoulders trailed on the ground collecting mud but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was truly and utterly exhausted. The emotional roller coaster she had been on today was enough to leave her drained one hundred times over. Her feet dragged with each step as her body begged for sleep, while her gaze stayed fixated on the hypnotic passing of cobblestones inching past the farther she walked.

"We're almost there. You okay Shrimp?" Gajeel asked in a rather gruff tone. He wasn't one for prying into people's business but Levi honestly did not look alright. She was ghostly pail and the usual exuberance she carried with her had faded, leaving nothing but the zombie walking behind him. This whole night she had been acting off. He didn't like it. Where was the Levi who hit him with her purse on Tenroue? The brilliant bookworm who could take down enemies with a single word and mourn their defeat directly after. That's the way she was. Compassionate. Wise. Innocent.

His light in the dark.

"Eh? Yeah I'm alright. Just really tired. Honestly Gajeel I didn't know you lived this far away from the guild. We've been walking for almost an hour!" She picked absent mindedly at a freckle on her arm in an attempt to rid her of the nervous feeling creeping into her gut. Never once had she seen Gajeel's home. Juvia had suggested at one point following him, but she quickly declined. She was no stalker! God knows how much that had creeped Gray out when he discovered Juvia's little habit of trailing him like a shadow. Besides, Gajeel was a dragon slayer, he would sense her a mile away. Not like she had ever considered it. Ever. Honestly.

She could also guess why he lived this far away from Fairy Tail in the first place. In the beginning he had been hated by pretty much every member of their misfit family, albeit for good reason. He most likely didn't want to intrude on anyone by moving into their neighborhood. It made her sad. If only they had met under different circumstances.

"I like my privacy is all." Was all he said.

Again the sound of rain was all that was shared between them, which was fine with Gajeel. He had never been one for conversation. Most likely because he had never been blessed with any kind of social skills to speak of save enough to keep him from getting into shit. And even then sometimes that wasn't enough. But not her. She was his polar opposite. On a regular basis she used words that left him with a confused expression and a retort dying on his tongue. He wasn't smart enough for her. How could she possibly want to be with someone that couldn't even keep up with her conversation? He felt like an idiot around her. She was nothing but wit and seemingly endless knowledge about the world around her whereas he was just some thug that didn't deserve to be in the same sentence as her let alone be with her romantically.

The pair finally came up to a small house near the outskirts of town with a small patch of grass out front and a door made of iron (of course), rusted with time and use. It had a large windows on either side and the sidings looked to be in worse shape than the door. It wasn't a palace, but Levi couldn't imagine any other place she would want to be. She followed him to the door and watched as he pressed his finger against the lock and morphed it into a key. Clever, though she imagined that if anyone knew who this house belonged to then that would be security enough. With a swift click it was unlocked and Gajeel kicked it non to gently with his foot, sending it banging into the wall beside it. Levi just shook her head and smiled.

Inside was surprisingly larger than the outside, as she entered what appeared to be a mud room. The name took on new meaning as Gajeel shucked off his boots and they clattered to the floor, sending muck and grass splattering in all directions. Levi gently slipped out of her flats and placed them neatly by the entry way, then followed Gajeel into his home. As they walked into the living room, all Levi could see was piles and piles of iron. Pieces of scrap and gears and god knows what else was gathered into neat little piles around the room, scattered amongst the sparse pieces of furniture. A more in-depth look around and Levi noted a small rickety looking coffee table (most likely a foot rest) and a plush leather couch, worn and faded but comfortable looking. Gajeel moved through the labyrinth with ease while Levi found it somewhat difficult to navigate. She stepped on a stray screw and yelped, quickly grabbing her foot and pulling out the offending object.

"Damnit that hurt!" She grumbled with tears in her eyes. There was a small bead of blood already forming on the wound.

"Gajeel! You should have told me you were bringing someone home so I could have at least made it safe to walk through your junk yard. Levi hasn't been here for five minutes and she's already sustained an injury!" Came the deep voice of a slightly annoyed Pantherlily.

"I didn't know I was bringin anyone. Shrimp practically begged to come home with me." Gajeel replied with a wide grin, showing off his sharp canines. Though on closer inspection of Levi's foot his smile faltered. Lily led Levi to the couch and sat her down gently in order to inspect the small wound.

"I did NOT beg! I asked because I forgot my keys at-…when I went for a walk. I must have dropped them. And it was raining and cold!" Levi quickly tried to cover up her near mistake by loudly stating the last sentence. She didn't want Gajeel to know where she had been. He would suspect something if he didn't already and that would lead to questions. Questions she really didn't want to answer.

Gajeel might not have been book smart but he wasn't stupid. He knew she was hiding something. He had known it all night. But it wasn't his business, so if Levi didn't want to share then he wouldn't ask. Looking at her foot he also noticed that the small bead of blood had turned into somewhat of a ribbon trickling down from the arch of her foot past her heel. So with a huff he made his way to the bathroom cabinet where they kept their first aid. If anything it would need to be cleaned.

Meanwhile, Lily had gone to work applying pressure with a clean rag against Levi's foot, much to her embarrassment, and had opted for polite conversation with the petite script mage rather than scold Gajeel further.

"So I take it Gajeel was exaggerating about your enthusiasm over coming here" He said with small smile and laughter in his eyes.

"Very much. Although I'm grateful for the hospitality, I'd rather stay out in the rain than beg. Especially to him. He'd never let it go." She replied while shaking her head lightly. She loved talking with Lily. He had always proven to be so eloquent in the way he spoke and it put Levi at ease. While his vocabulary was not as extensive as hers, it was still nice to touch up on words she did not often get to use when speaking with other guild mates.

"You're probably right about that, though he would have dragged you back here kicking and screaming anyway knowing him. He's not one to let those he cares about suffer, even if it is a matter of pride or principal." Lily responded light heartedly. They had always inched around the relationship between Gajeel and herself with something between acknowledgment and caution. It had always been complicated between the two, and while Gajeel had never told Lily why, he still heard Gajeel talk in his sleep. He knew enough not to pry, though not enough to sate his curiosity. What a frustrating standstill. Lily chuckled at that. 'A frustrating standstill' was actually a perfect definition of the two.

"I suppose..." Levi said, quietly surveying the room in greater detail. There were no pictures on the cream coloured walls and no real tokens of memory placed anywhere she could see. The floor was hardwood, though various scuffs and scratches had been engraved with the dragging of large iron parts. It felt broken in and worn. It felt like home.

Levi was suddenly taken back to a place lived so long ago she thought that time had all but eroded it from her memory. A book case that reached all the way up to their eight foot ceiling, packed with various tomes and writings from hundreds upon hundreds of authors. Fantasy, science fiction, horror, non-fiction and even a small nook of romance novels for her mother. Her mother. A small woman with wild blue hair and tawny eyes that looked so much like her own reaching down to her face with those soft, slender hands. Chasing her fears away with a voice as soothing and full of comfort as hot chocolate on a snowy day, she spoke.

"_They can never take it away honey. No matter how far you fall, no one can ever take it from you"_

"_Take what mama?"_

"_Knowledge, Levi. Knowledge."_

"Oi, you alright? It was Just a screw, couldn't have hurt that much."

"Gajeel!" Lily whispered harshly.

Levi looked up, slightly confused until she realized her cheek felt wet. There were tears streaming down her face. And in front of him! Levi's face went ablaze with a deep crimson blush that seemed to reach all the way down her neck.

"I-I…Well it did hurt Gajeel! You shouldn't leave screws laying everywhere on the floor. Not everyone has skin as tough as yours you know..." She trailed off looking anywhere but at the iron dragon slayer's face. She could feel him staring. Lily to, but she just didn't have an explanation. She had thought those memories to be long faded after she locked them in a box at the back of her mind that read "Do not open under any circumstances". Damn unreliable box.

Gajeel looked slightly taken aback by her statement, mumbling a gruff "sorry" before handing the first aid kit to Lily, who simple bandaged her foot with a practiced hand that could only have come from many battles. Lily knew when not to ask questions, and this was certainly one of those moments. The look on Levi's face when she had all but spaced out in front of him had been something only a painful memory could bring about. He didn't know what had unearthed it, but he had enough of his own to know she needed a distraction.

"If Gajeel could show you up to his room, I'll prepare the couch. A guest should have a bed to sleep in and mine is much too small. Gajeel?"

At this Gajeel simply shrugged and turned towards the staircase at the end of the hall. Levi quickly got up and followed, feeling a little bad for snapping at him. Her foot didn't really hurt that bad, only stung a little. And now there was a very awkward sort of tension between the two of them. They made their way up the stairs to a small hallway with three doors.

Lily shook his head gently. Those two honestly had to get together soon, otherwise he was pretty sure Mira and every other female member of their guild was going too physically force them together. He laughed whole heartedly at the thought of Mira putting all of her efforts towards personally making sure they became a couple. If she didn't, she was going to lose their bet, he thought with a smirk.

Gajeel lead levy down the hall to the very end door and kicked it open with practiced ease. There was a dark boot scuff in roughly the same place as he kicked, so she guessed he wasn't one for opening doors normally. What was inside the room didn't necessarily surprise her, but it wasn't exactly conventional bedroom clutter. Strewn half hazardly throughout the room was even more iron than downstairs, and in a much less orderly fashion. Against the far wall was a large bed underneath a small window that overlooked the street below. By the light tinting the sky outside she knew it wasn't quite dawn, but it wouldn't be long. Levi didn't care. She was all too suddenly aware of the ache in her feet and the tiredness in her limbs to think about anything other than sleep.

"Blankets are clean along with the sheets. I changed 'em before going out on my mission. Bathroom is the middle door down the hall." He said shortly. Levi looked up and saw him turn to leave.

"Wait! I-I didn't mean to snap at you earlier! It didn't really hurt that much…I just…" She couldn't finish her sentence. What was she supposed to say? She was falling apart at the seams and couldn't get a grip on the thread? That she had just received news she had been dreading for her entire life only a few short hours ago and now she had no idea what to do with herself? That all she wanted him to do was grab her and kiss her and throw her onto the bed behind her like in the romance novels stacked up on her bedside table? She didn't know. So she said the only thing that she could without losing it completely.

"Please don't go..." was said in barely in a whisper.

Gajeel turned around and faced her with a furrowed brow but no agitation in his face. He merely looked at her with what she thought to be a cross between confusion and concern. But he did not leave. Instead he just picked her up princess style, much to Levi's utter surprise and dropped her down onto the bed with a loud squeak. Then, bringing the covers up to her neck, he laid beside her on top of the blanket and folded his arms behind his head.

"I aint mad. And I'll stay if ya want me to. Damn crazy midget." He said as he closed his eyes.

Pulled from her initial shock by his voice, Levi beamed a genuine smile at him and snuggled deep into the comforter. Before she closed her eyes she faintly noted the scent of Gajeel surrounding her and sweeping her off to a hopefully dreamless sleep.

As soon as Levi's breathing evened out nice and slow, Gajeel cracked open an eye and looked over at her. This damn woman was fucking frustrating. First she asks to come to his place, then she's crying and then she berating him for leaving out _his stuff_ in _his house _like it was some kind of problem. Though he did feel bad about the screw. He would have to throw that one out. But what was with the tears anyway? The look on her face had been so…painful. Gajeel had felt his stomach sink down to his feet the second he saw the first tear slide down her face. He hated it when she cried. He had seen her do it only a few times and even that was too many. And the thought of him being the one to cause it made him feel even worse.

Gajeel hoped that whatever was troubling Levi would resolve itself with a good night's sleep, because he honestly had no idea what was wrong otherwise. It was the reason he had all but tossed her onto his bed in order for her to get to sleep as soon as possible. Though he supposed he would get cold without any type of blanket, he just didn't trust himself. He didn't want to take advantage of Levi, but with all long legs and creamy, flawless skin, he was pretty sure sleeping under the covers with her was a bad idea. With one last look at the bewildering woman beside him sleeping soundly, Gajeel closed his eyes and surrendered himself to exhaustion.

_Alright guys, rate and review!_


	3. Compromising Positions

**I am sooooo sorry for the long wait guys! I would have updated sooner but my sister has been really sick so she's required all of my attention till now. But she's on the mend (Thank goodness!) so I will be back to posting chapters! I have decided to make this a bi-weekly update (sorry guys) to make sure the quality stays consistent. I honestly felt like I rushed this chapter but you all have waited so long I just had to get it out there. And thank you to Luna for pointing out the back and forth between the spelling of Levy's name. I had no idea I was doing that and I'll fix it as soon as I can. Anyway. This Fic is dedicated to Rhov. If you don't know her look up her account. She's awesome and inspired me to write this Ok, to the GaLe! **

In the art of repression, he was incredibly well versed. Burying memories and past choices until they were nothing but a small ache in the back of his subconscious, never to be unearthed under any circumstances. Do not dwell on what cannot be changed and do not waste time foreboding the inevitable. This was a lesson his father taught him and it had served Gajeel well throughout his life. Just enjoy the now to the fullest and fuck the rest. When the guild mark on his arm was not yet a fairy, Gajeel had taken that lesson to the extreme. The world had never cared about him. Just some little gutter punk with nowhere to go and no manners to speak of. Disgusting. Hopeless. Worthless. In the worlds eyes he was nothing. So he tried his damndest until he became something, _anything_ but the brat you could ignore huddling under trash heaps for shelter. He became Kurogane. No one ignored him then. He took what he wanted from life and tossed the rest to the wind without a second thought. He was his own man and a powerful mage. Who was going to defy him? Black steel Gajeel feared no one. Not yet.

But on the nights where the whiskey wasn't enough to keep away the troublesome memories, Gajeel would dream of a little blue haired mage that had taught him what it was like to fear. Of course she could never hurt him physically even if she tried (though her purse packed a wallop when filled with her ridiculously large books), but there was more than one kind of pain. Guilt was the first that came to mind. The heavy and unyielding guilt that rested on his shoulders like a mountain, a constant reminder of just what he had done to something so pure. He had ripped of an angels wings and crucified her. But it was fitting he supposed, considering the demon he was. On many occasions he had considered just leaving the guild of fairies. Even now after all these years, he felt like such an outsider. Every member had brought something to the guild when they joined; had contributed to its growth. And here he was, the man who had brought it to the ground.

There were many nights where he just dreamt of her company. The calming vision of her reading a large book beside him at the guild. He loved those moments. Gajeel would watch her without reservation, because he knew she would never notice. When her mind was soaking in the words of her beloved stories, Levy was completely oblivious to the world around her. He would watch as she unconsciously moved her lips ever so slightly to the words she read. How her whole body just seemed to relax all at once put him at ease, because there was a time when she would have cowered just at the mention of his name. Sometimes he would just close his eyes and listen to the crackle of old paper every time she turned the page and the rhythmic sound of her breathing.

Then there were the nights where he dreamt of her in more…compromising positions. He always looked forward to those. The tangle of sweaty blue hair spread out against his pillows as she writhed beneath him in pleasure. Her hands on his chest as he towered over her smaller frame. Her high pitched moans and the breathy way she would say his name.

'_Gageel'_

Oh how he loved those nights. But it was not those dreams he would try to escape. He would give up sleeping altogether just to avoid the nightmares that had haunted him ever since he had felt her body break in his hands. It would have been so much easier if she had just surrendered. But no, she fought with all she had to defend her friends. He had taken care of them in one shot. He still remembered the disappointment he felt with such an easy fight. But then he saw her. With a tear streaked face and a defiant stance, she stood firm, prepared to fight him to the death in the name of her nakama. He had scoffed then. Like a large jungle cat would when confronted with an angry mouse attempting to steal his meal. She was just too easy. She would fight him, lose, and would be nothing more than another tic mark on the tally board in Gajeel's mind. One more person who could never ignore him.

It was then that she had done something no one before her had. She put down her weapon not in defeat, but as a plea for reason. As if he wasn't the man who had turned her home to ruble and had returned with the sole purpose of bringing war through pain and violence.

'I don't want to fight you' came a small voice, standing there so innocently and putting her faith in his humanity. Stupid bitch.

He could still hear the gurgle of blood in her throat as he drove his fist into her gut.

Gajeel's eyes snapped open. He was covered in a cold sweat that soaked through to the sheets, making his cloths stick to his skin uncomfortably. How many times had he woken this way? With a tired groan he closed his eyes and rolled over, pulling the nearest pillow close to his chest and burying his face in its amazing smell. Mavis, his pillow smelled good. And it was warm. So very warm. With a contented sigh he pulled his now favorite pillow tighter against his body.

"Eep!" Said the pillow.

Huh. That was weird. Pillows didn't usually make that noise. In his sleep deprived mind he made a note to talk to Lily about whatever soap he was using to make his linens smell so good. He might have to use it on everything…

Levy had absolutely no idea what to do. An entire lifetime of reading books and not a single one of them had contained any information what so ever on how to get out of a situation like this one. She knew she should have gotten out of bed when she woke up. But Levy had always been curious by nature, so when an opportunity presented itself to know what the man she was so infatuated with looked like when he slept, she just couldn't resist. For a while he looked peaceful without his eyebrows pinched together in his usual glower. Gajeel had dragon slayer senses so she rarely got an opportunity to really study his face without him noticing. And Mavis help her if he noticed. At times like those she could feel the cheeky retort coming before it even formed in his mind.

"_No need to gawk shrimp. If you want me that bad just say so"_

Levy flushed a bright pink what felt like all the way to her toes. He was teasing her and he wasn't even awake yet! Stupid Gajeel and his stupid sense of humor. If only he knew how badly she wanted him. But they never went past their usual routine. He would flirt with her, she would blush and splutter out some embarrassing response, he would laugh and that would be it. On the rare occasion she did try to flirt with him she felt like an idiot. Not to mention most of the time he dropped the conversation altogether, reaffirming what she already knew. Gajeel could never want her. Lucy only had to bat her eyelashes and puff out her chest and every guy in the guild turned into a horny drooling pile of goo. Levy had always been self-conscious of her small chest. And she wasn't particularly pretty in her opinion. But then again, when you spent nearly every day hanging around girls like Mirajane Strauss and Erza Scarlett, one tended to develop self-esteem issues.

Levy was snapped out of her inner monologue when Gajeel shifted slightly in his sleep, sending her into a panic.

_Oh crap!_

In a pathetic effort to feign sleep, Levy threw her head back against the pillow and hastily shut her eyes. While she tried to concentrate on slowing her breathing, Levy listened as Gajeel woke with a small gasp.

_Ok ok. He doesn't know I'm awake. Just lay still and don't make any noise. _

It was in that moment Levy realized just where she was. She was in Gajeel Redfox's bed. She was lying next to Gajeel Redfox, the man that had held her heart for all these years, trying to convince herself he totally wasn't aware that she was awake. He was a dragon slayer for Mavis' sake! If he could smell her coming down the street then he sure as hell could hear how hard her heart was hammering in her chest! Wait. Oh no! Levy hadn't had a shower since yesterday morning. If his dragon slayer senses were so sensitive, she must have smelled horrible! Damnitt! All that time reading book after book and here she was, totally clueless! Maybe she should just give up her library in favor of a pair of weights like Erza….

Yeah right.

Levy's whole body tensed as she heard Gajeel groan next to her. She tried to mentally prepare herself for the inevitable confrontation. But what do you say when you wake up in someone's bed? Cana would know. That girl had been passed around more times than the guild hall had been destroyed. And considering Fairy Tail was…well..Fairy Tail, that was a lot of hook ups.

Just as she thought that she might be on her way to being ready to having an awkward not-really-morning-after conversation with Gajeel, she was being pulled into a bear hug. She could feel the contour of almost every muscle that was pressed up against her. She could smell that sharp metallic sent and an underlying aroma of black coffee. While usually that smell was comforting, right now all it seemed to be doing was making her feel dizzy and hot all over. In her shock Levy was at a loss for a plan that would allow her to escape from his tight grasp. But then again, she wasn't really sure she wanted to. Gajeel's arm was thrown across her front, his hand gently grabbing her breast, while the other came up underneath her and landed on her hip. What the hell?!

_Don't panic! He's obviously still aslee-_

"Eep!" Levy squeaked as Gajeel crushed her harder into his lumbering frame. Distantly she registered him sighing and what sounded like falling back asleep. She was, however, to preoccupied with the semi-hard lump pressing into the side of her thigh.

Levy had never had much in common with Juvia Lockstar. Her forwardness with her affections was a sharp contrast to Levy's shy and introverted personality. But in that moment she knew exactly what it felt like to be so overwhelmed by an action of someone you care about so deeply that you nearly fainted. The room spun as Levy attempted to get a handle on the situation.

After a few moments she opened her eyes and turner her head, only to be faced with Gajeels starkly handsome features, slackened with sleep, mere centimeters away. He looked so…content. Levy honestly couldn't remember the last time she had been this close to him face to face. She could feel his breath gently ruffle her bangs with each exhale and almost count his eyelashes. She was so close…

So….close….

Gajeels arm suddenly moved from her breast (thank Mavis) to rest on her stomach. And it was at this point that Levy noticed she all of a sudden desperately had to relive her bladder.

_Of all the-! Damnit! Fine. Ok let's just try moving. Shouldn't be too hard. _

Levy gently shifted in an attempt to distance herself from the slumbering dragon slayer, only to rub up against his now almost fully awake member, causing Gajeel to grunt softly. Levy stopped dead. Well moving wasn't going so well apparently. As she pondered what to do next her bladder gave a painful clench, scattering her already frazzled thoughts. She squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to ease the pressure, however this only proved to send little jolts of pleasure throughout her body, which was the last thing her waning concentration needed at the moment.

Her mind started to race. If she couldn't move without waking him then she would have to wait until he got out of bed in order to avoid an awkward confrontation. But as her bladder throbbed and Gajeels arm seemed to almost grow heavier she realized that wasn't an option. And she was not about to wet herself in front of Gajeel of all people!

Just when Levy was beginning to considering making a mad dash to the bathroom, Gajeel be damned, the bedroom door creaked open. She couldn't see past the body next to her, but Levy already knew who it was. Lily was sensible! He would help her!

As if on cue Lily flew over and noiselessly hovered above the two with a knowing smile on his face.

"Well I came in to check on the two of you considering Gajeel didn't come downstairs to sleep on the couch, but it seems to me like you're doing just fine." He said quietly.

Levy paled.

"No no no no! This isn't what you think! He just rolled over and- gah! Lily this isn't funny stop laughing! Lily! I really need to use the bathroom and I don't want to wake him. I said stop laughing!" Levy could only whisper but she put all the ferocity she could into each word. Well maybe but that much but enough to let Lily know that she genuinely needed his assistance.

Lily wiped away a small tear of laughter and nodded. Lowering slightly, he attempted to grab Gajeel's arm when his tail accidentally brushed Gajeel's face, causing him to snort and pull Levy even closer.

"Oh my…" Lily muttered with a small blush.

Oh my was right. Much to Levy's dismay, Gajeel had shifted his hand so it was now grabbing her inner thigh almost high enough to touch her panties. Levy was breathing harshly in her state of utter panic as Lily mouthed the words _'Calm down'_ lest she wake up the clueless dragon slayer beside her.

In the next few seconds three things happened.

By some cruel twist of fate, Levy's lungs decided that right that very moment was a perfect opportunity to develop a tickle, sending the poor script made into a fit of coughing. Her body convulsed as she clamped her legs together and hunched forward to brace herself against said coughs wracking through her tiny frame. This of course woke up Gajeel quite violently, almost enough so that he didn't notice his hand snug between levy's thighs and his pointer finger pressed firmly against her panties. Almost. So in his state of shock, Gajeel wrenched his hand back so abruptly it sent Levy flying off the bed and onto the floor, successfully winding her and therefore ceasing her coughing fit.

There was utter silence in the room save for Levy's small gasps as she tried to coax air back into her lungs.

Lily, being the gentleman he was, immediately flew over to Levy and morphed into his battle form in order to pick her up off of the floor. Gajeel watched, his mouth agape, still trying to process what just happened as Levy finally gained her breath back and stared at him with wide eyes and a deep blush.

"I…I….I need to use the bathroom!" she said suddenly, practically leaping from Lily's arms and making a mad dash out into the hallway, leaving both men to stare after her.

"Lily, what the fuck just happened?" Gajeel was honestly at a loss. One moment he was falling asleep with his favorite pillow and then…

The pillow had said 'Eep'.

God damnit.

"Well Gajeel, I didn't take you for a cuddler." Stated Lily with a snicker. He didn't even have to look as he dodged the lump of iron chucked at his head. Laughing softly Lily transformed back into his smaller size and flew out the door, leaving a very confused dragon slayer in his wake.

As Gajeel tried to piece together his mind after being so rudely awoken, his senses were set on red alert as a sharp metallic sent exploded around him. Blood. Lots of blood. Levy's blood?

Gajeel jumped to the floor and took off like a shot down the hall, only to find the bathroom door open with no occupants inside. Stepping in carefully, Gajeel reluctantly inhaled, sending that sickening smell further into his sinuses. But no matter where he looked, not a drop of red was to be found. In a huff Gajeel made to run downstairs when he heard the slam of the front door.

"Shrimp?!" He tried to hide the worried undertone his voice took, but it was unavoidable.

"I believe she just left. Is she alright? I could smell…" Lily trailed off as Gajeels came down the stairs to find him siitting on the couch drinking kiwi juice, staring off into what must have been the direction Levy took off.

"Blood. I know. Something's wrong."

Lily merely sat and sipped his drink as he pondered. He had noticed something off about Levy as soon as she walked into the house. It may have been because he spent so much time with her, but Lily really wondered why Gajeel couldn't smell the slight difference to her. She smelled..not sick..just…different. A gruff sigh brought his attention back to Gajeel as he ran his hand through those messy black locks. Grabbing a towel hanging on a stray chair he had been working on for a while, Gajeel made it upstairs.

"What are you doing?" Lily asked merely out of courtesy. He knew exactly where Gajeel would go. He always knew.

"First I'm gunna shower. Then I'm gunna get some god damn answers from that fucking frustrating woman!"

"And maybe apologize for molesting her in her sleep" Lily muttered it under his breath, but he made sure Gajeel could hear.

"Shut the fuck up Lil!"

Lily smiled. Honestly that man was just to easy.


End file.
